On November 3, 2010, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") issued proposed rules for implementing the whistleblower program established by Section 922 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank Act").

Experts from around the globe predict that a pandemic flu outbreak could cause U.S. businesses to suffer 40% absence rates over a period of six to eight weeks, resulting in a national loss of productivity in the range of 5%. Although transmissions of the H5N1 avian influenza virus from person to person remain extremely rare – preventing avian flu from being considered a pandemic – the World Health Organization reports that there have been 256 cases of avian flu as of October 16, 2006.